Shark tours have become more and more popular as people start learning how incredible these animals are. Whether you are traveling in Florida, the Caribbean, Australia, South Africa, or anywhere else around the world, sharks can be found in nearly all corners of the earth. If you’re a shark lover like myself, or hoping to push your comfort zone a bit during your travels, check out all the best shark tours and experiences to check off your bucket list.
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Some Quick Info About Sharks
In case you’re super anxious or have seen Jaws one too many times, I wanted to talk about sharks before getting into the tours. One thing to note is that they’re not the mindless, man-eating monsters that Hollywood and the media have portrayed them as for so many years. They have a bad rep, and it’s not entirely justified.
While they are apex predators, they don’t typically have a taste for humans as a snack, they are intelligent creatures. They are capable of complex behaviors, can learn pretty quickly, and are very important for the health of our oceans. By helping maintain fish populations, they have a cascading effect on our coral reefs around the world, which are vital components of our oceans, and our planet in general. Sharks around the world are either threatened, endangered, or critically endangered, and shark tourism (snorkeling/diving) has proven to help protect the animas, as well as provide higher revenue for the communities that used to rely on shark hunting.
It’s okay to be nervous to be in the water with sharks, but I hope that by learning more about them, spending time around them, viewing them in their natural habitat, and by experiencing them up close, that you may have a change of heart towards these amazing animals that need our protection.
Compass Cay Nurse Sharks
If being in the water with sharks is nerve-wracking to you, this is your first time in the water with sharks, or you’re trying to overcome your fears, then starting with the Compass Cay nurse sharks may be the best option for you! This docile shark species typically only eats crustaceans or small invertebrates that dwell in the sand and are slower moving than some of the other species that you may experience on this list.
Located in the Exuma Island chain in the Bahamas, Compass Cay offers a unique experience to swim with nurse sharks in crystal clear water. While this is not the only shark experience in the Bahamas, it is definitely one of the most iconic that you probably have seen all over Instagram and TikTok.
When you get to Compass Cay, you’ll walk to the shop and pay the $10 fee to swim with the sharks (if you book a tour, the fee is often already covered). The water is waist to shoulder deep in most places, but can be a little deeper, or you can even walk towards the beach shore to be in the shallows. You can bring a snorkel, but it’s not the biggest swimming area, so be mindful of your legs and fins! The nurse sharks will swim around and may even rest on the bottom of the ocean floor.
Be sure to bring an underwater camera, and if you want the iconic floating pic, have your travel buddy stand on the higher part of the dock while you float!
If you want to experience these sharks, the best way (unless you are chartering or have your own boat) is going to be a full day tour. This tour includes a flight from Nassau and many other iconic Exuma stops, like the swimming pigs, and is going to be a luxury option for you to experience. Or, if you’re looking for a full day tour on a boat, check out this one that also covers many of the famous Exumas spots!
Florida Shark Diving
For the stateside travelers that want a shark and ocean fix, definitely check out Florida Shark Diving in Jupiter! You’ll hop aboard a boat and take a short drive out to the shark spot, where you’ll head into the water on a line attached to a buoy. Your guide will have a camera for professionally taken pictures and videos.
There are quite the variety of shark species that you may see on this shark swim, as the Florida waters are home to a variety of migratory and more resident species. Their website includes 12 different species that you may encounter while in the waters in Florida, since Florida is a hotspot of shark species.
If you book this shark trip, you should be comfortable in the water with a snorkel and fins on. The ocean swells can be pretty big, so I’d recommend taking a seasickness preventative if you are prone to seasickness. If you don’t own your own snorkel gear, you will be provided with some, so don’t worry about trying to travel with it! You’ll go through a briefing, then head out to the shark spot. You can check out more info about the shark diving experience in the travel vlog above!
Great Whites in South Africa
A huge bucket list dive for many people is to dive with Great White Sharks, and one of the few places in the world known for Great White experiences is in South Africa. While I haven’t personally had the chance to experience this, it is definitely at the top of my bucket list! (When I was in South Africa, it was winter and I did not want to be in the 60 degree water, so we opted for a whale watching tour instead).
Heading to South Africa? Check out these travel guides to start planning your trip!
Cape Town is a coastal city with many different bays, and some very famous shark cage diving. While in recent years, so I’ve heard, Great Whites are harder and harder to see (possibly due to their overall population decline), these shark dives are still extremely popular due to the variety of other shark species, dolphins, seals, and other wildlife.
From what I’ve read, most tours are offered as cage dives, and can be chilly year-round, so be prepared to don a wetsuit for your experience! You can click here to book a great white tour in South Africa!
Bull Shark Dive at Bimini Scuba Center
If you’re looking for some amazing shark diving in the Bahamas, then you’ve got to head to Bimini. The Bimini Scuba Center offers SO many different shark dives and expeditions, from Great Hammerheads, Tiger Sharks, Oceanic White Tips, Bull Sharks, and more! The two closest shark dives offered by the Bimini Scuba Center are the Hammerhead dive and the Bull Shark dive.
Did you know that the Bahamas is the first shark sanctuary created in the Atlantic Ocean?
While in Bimini, I had the chance to experience the bull shark cage dive, which takes place right next to the dive shop on Bimini. This is perfect for anyone and everyone (even children), as you do not have to be scuba certified to experience this shark dive, and is a great way to build your confidence around sharks in the water. When I return to Bimini, I will definitely be trying out one of their dives with the Hammerheads or Tiger Sharks!
The bull sharks may also be accompanied by nurse sharks, Southern Rays, lots of fish, and more! While on Bimini, be sure to check out the Bimini Biological Field Station (also known as the Shark Lab) to learn more about the research and conservation efforts happening in the Bahamas. There is so much to do in Bimini, you can check out this Bimini Bucket List to plan all your travels to Bimini!
Reef Sharks in French Polynesia
If swimming with sharks and stingrays is your dream, then you’ve got to visit this spot in Mo’orea. While French Polynesia is known for the opportunity to swim with humpback whales, Mo’orea also offers a great experience swimming with black tip reef sharks!
Within one of the lagoons, you can stop at a sandbar to swim with stingrays and sharks. You’ll wear a snorkel and will be chest deep or so, but there are some deeper spots. This shark tour has to be taken by boat, but there are many options for this including a sailing tour, a full lagoon tour, or if you’re staying at Les Tipaniers, a small boat rental is available to take to the sandbar.
There are many different tours to take, including many that only tour the lagoon, like this one. I recommend the traditional sailing tour that sails around the lagoon, offshore, and stops at the sharks and another snorkel spot. It was awesome not only seeing the sharks, but learning about traditional Polynesian sailing as well. You can book the sailing trip here!
Snorkeling with Whale Sharks in Mexico
Whale sharks are the largest shark (and fish) species, with lengths reaching up to 18 meters (60 feet) in length! These gentle giants are specked with gorgeous white spots that are as unique to them as a fingerprint to us. While I haven’t had the chance to swim with whale sharks yet, it is at the top of my bucket list. There are many places in the world that are known to have many whale sharks, such as the Maldives, but Mexico is another hotspot that is a quicker flight for me than crossing half the planet.
When I head to Mexico to swim with whale sharks, I’ll likely book a tour like this one!
USVI Shark Diving
The sister company to Florida Shark Diving, you can swim with sharks in the crystal clear Caribbean waters. Located in St. Thomas, the process is similar to what was discussed in the Florida section, however, you’ll be surrounded by pristine Caribbean waters. The most common sharks to see in these areas are going to be Caribbean Reef sharks, Lemon sharks, and Nurse sharks.
Unlike the deep waters off Jupiter, you’ll likely be in 40-60 feet of water, and the visibility can be super amazing. When we went, we had 15 reef sharks around us (that we could count), and many nurse sharks. Keep your eyes peeled for other amazing sea life like spotted eagle rays, reef fish, barracuda, sea turtles, and more.
You can learn more about USVI shark diving and plan you trip here!
The entire experience is two hours long, and like the Florida trip, I’d recommend being comfortable with a mask, snorkel, and fins before going on this trip. You don’t need to be a very strong swimmer, but should be able to swim in open ocean from the boat to the buoy line. Once on the line, all you have to do is breathe and float! The guide and captain will teach you everything to stay safe and have a great time, and don’t forget to tell them you’d like the video package before you get in the water!
Planning a shark diving experience? Save this for your shark bucket list!
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